The podcast covers the Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) Stakeholder Forum held at Aviva Stadium, featuring updates on Ireland's EV infrastructure strategy and government policies. Key discussions include the rapid growth in EV adoption, challenges in expanding the charging network, and collaboration among government, local authorities, and industry stakeholders. The episode highlights the rollout of national charging schemes, regional pilot projects, and the importance of sustainable investment to meet 2026-2028 targets. Insights from ZEVI head Ifo Grady provide a detailed look into Ireland’s evolving EV landscape and future plans.
Welcome back to the Nevo EV News Podcast. If it's Tuesday it must be Nevo EV News Day. My name is Derek Reilly and on this podcast we chat all about EV. Nevo is Ireland's only dedicated EV platform and we'll be covering where we were this week, what we've been driving and what we've been doing between podcasts. If you haven't already subscribed or followed us wherever you are listening please do so and if you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating and comment, it really helps us out and it doesn't cost you anything. Let's get stuck in.
Draft National EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy 2026-2028
"We attended the zero emission vehicles Ireland or Zevi stakeholders forum in the Aviva stadium"
Zero emission vehicles are cars or trucks that don't produce smoke or pollution when they drive. They help keep the air clean and fight climate change.
Zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) are vehicles that produce no tailpipe emissions, such as electric vehicles or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. They help reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
"F1 has taken North America by storm in recent years and 2026 is shaping up to be the most exciting season of Formula 1 racing yet With a completely fresh set of cars and engines Lando Norris Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the world's fastest drivers are Speeding into the unknown this season Whatever happens the race F1 podcast will be with you for every corner crash and controversy"
Formula 1 is a type of car racing where the fastest drivers race in very fast cars on tracks all over the world. It's the top level of car racing and very exciting to watch.
Formula 1, often abbreviated as F1, is the highest class of international single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the FIA. It features the fastest drivers and most advanced racing cars competing in a series of Grand Prix events worldwide.
"2026 is shaping up to be the most exciting season of Formula 1 racing yet With a completely fresh set of cars and engines Lando Norris Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the world's fastest drivers are Speeding into the unknown this season"
This means the race cars and their engines are all new and different from before, which can make the races more exciting because the cars might be faster or handle differently.
In Formula 1, a 'fresh set of cars and engines' refers to the introduction of new car designs and power units that comply with updated technical regulations, often leading to significant changes in performance and competition.
"We're on the ground at every Grand Prix including the three unmissable US events in Miami Austin and Las Vegas Talking to the key players and bringing expert analysis on the stories that matter"
A Grand Prix is a big race in Formula 1 that happens at special race tracks around the world. Drivers compete to win points and become champions.
A Grand Prix is a major race event in the Formula 1 calendar, held at different international circuits. Each Grand Prix is a standalone race contributing points towards the World Championship.
"Lots of people here from different aspects of the electric vehicle space in Ireland. It's great to see the participation"
An electric vehicle is a car that runs on electricity instead of gas. It uses batteries and electric motors to move, which can be better for the environment and cheaper to drive.
An electric vehicle (EV) is a car that is powered entirely or partially by electricity instead of traditional gasoline or diesel fuel. EVs use electric motors and batteries to provide propulsion, offering benefits like reduced emissions and lower operating costs.
"Really key to us since we started Zevi and then today with the new iteration of the infrastructure strategy"
An infrastructure strategy is a plan to build things like charging stations for electric cars and make sure the electricity system can support lots of these cars. This helps people use electric cars more easily.
An infrastructure strategy in the context of electric vehicles refers to the planning and development of supporting facilities such as charging stations, grid upgrades, and policies to enable widespread EV adoption. It is crucial for ensuring that EV users have convenient access to charging and that the electrical grid can handle increased demand.
"What's the next question you talked about 2024 versus 2025 and the EV adoption rate and"
EV adoption rate means how quickly people are buying and using electric cars instead of regular gasoline cars.
EV adoption rate refers to the speed and extent to which electric vehicles (EVs) are being purchased and integrated into the market and society, influenced by factors like incentives, infrastructure, and consumer acceptance.
"But you need that charging network to back it up and I'm going to use your quote a slow start"
A charging network is a group of places where electric cars can be plugged in to get more battery power. Having many of these spots makes it easier to drive electric cars longer distances.
A charging network is a system of public electric vehicle charging stations that allows EV owners to recharge their cars conveniently while on the road. The availability and connectivity of these stations are crucial for widespread EV adoption.
"But we're now in sprint mode. Yeah, exactly that that you know, we launched our first national road charging scheme
We announced the contracts for that in July"
This is a plan by the government to build many electric car charging spots all over the country so people can charge their cars when they travel far.
A national road charging scheme refers to a government-backed initiative to establish a widespread network of electric vehicle charging stations across a country, aiming to support EV drivers on long-distance travel.
"But they're in the strategy some of these are really interesting where there's a mix of DC and AC charging"
AC charging means charging an electric car more slowly using regular electricity, like what you get at home.
AC charging refers to alternating current charging for electric vehicles, which is slower than DC charging and typically used for home or workplace charging. It supplies power through the vehicle's onboard charger.
"But they're in the strategy some of these are really interesting where there's a mix of DC and AC charging"
DC charging means charging an electric car faster by using direct electricity, so the car's battery fills up quicker than normal charging.
DC charging refers to direct current fast charging for electric vehicles, which allows for much quicker battery recharge compared to AC charging. It is commonly used in public fast-charging stations to reduce charging time.
"But also for Evie charging we do see a lot of informal Home charging and I mean there's people who live in my neighborhood We don't have off-street parking and they run a cable across like the granny plug three pin cable across the curb"
EV charging means plugging in an electric car to get its battery power back. People often do this at home, but if they don't have a driveway, they might run cables across sidewalks, which can be unsafe.
EV charging refers to the process of replenishing the battery of an electric vehicle using electrical power. Home charging is common but can be challenging in areas without off-street parking, leading to informal setups like running cables across sidewalks.
"...itely not something that we can fund So our home charger at the moment is restricted to people who can dem..."
The Dodge Charger is a big, fast car that looks sporty and has a strong engine. People like it because it’s fun to drive and can carry a family too.
The Dodge Charger is a full-size American muscle sedan known for its powerful engine options and aggressive styling. It is significant for blending performance with practicality, often discussed in contexts involving performance cars or muscle car culture.
""They've been busy that's on the public side on the commercial side. You've got the fleets""
Fleets are many cars or trucks that a company uses for work, like delivery vans or company cars.
Fleets refer to groups of vehicles owned or leased by a business or organization, often used for commercial purposes like deliveries, services, or employee transportation.
"It sits nicely with with the EV charging because it completes the ecosystem the story of the renewable energy source"
Renewable energy means energy that comes from nature and doesn't run out, like sunlight or wind.
Renewable energy sources are natural energy sources that are replenished constantly, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, which help reduce carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels.
"And solar battery storage all becomes part of their knowledge base and they start to become much more aware of us"
Solar battery storage means saving the energy made by your solar panels so you can use it later, like at night or on cloudy days.
Solar battery storage systems store electricity generated by solar panels for later use, allowing homeowners to use solar energy even when the sun isn't shining, which can optimize energy usage and reduce reliance on the grid.
"So we've opened up five 200 kilowatt DC charges So that's 10 spaces."
It's a special type of charger for electric cars that can fill up the battery very quickly, much faster than regular chargers.
A 200 kilowatt DC charger is a fast electric vehicle charging station that delivers direct current at 200 kilowatts, enabling rapid charging of compatible electric cars.
"There's still VRT reductions available and you're also paying the lowest motor tax"
VRT is a tax you pay when you register a car. If you get a reduction, it means you pay less tax, especially for electric cars.
VRT stands for Vehicle Registration Tax, a tax applied when registering a vehicle. Reductions in VRT lower the cost of registering electric vehicles, making them more affordable.
"I'm expecting to be a really good year this year. I mean we're looking at a 4% increase on on EVs this year. So I'm hoping that that will continue the sale of electric fans has improved..."
EVs are cars or vans that run on electricity instead of gas. They use batteries to move and don't need fuel like regular cars.
EVs stands for electric vehicles, which are cars or vans powered entirely or partially by electricity instead of traditional gasoline or diesel engines.
"...ales manager and Andrew tomorrow We're at the MG S6 launch, but today we're at the Zevi stakeholder e..."
The Audi S6 is a comfortable and fast car that’s a bit fancier than regular cars. It’s good for people who want both luxury and speed.
The Audi S6 is a high-performance variant of the A6 executive sedan, combining luxury features with sporty performance. It is often highlighted for its powerful engine options and advanced technology, making it a popular choice in the luxury performance sedan segment.
"...will will sit above. It's like the big brother to s5 and We will have the car launched tomorrow with ..."
The Audi S5 is a fancy, fast car that looks stylish and is fun to drive. It’s a bit like a regular car but made to be quicker and handle better.
The Audi S5 is a sporty, performance-oriented version of the A5 coupe and sportback, offering enhanced power and handling. It is often discussed as a luxury sports car that balances everyday usability with dynamic driving experience.
"...could potentially buy an electric or electrified BMW or mini"
Electrified vehicles are cars that use both gas and electricity to move. They can save fuel and pollute less.
Electrified vehicles include hybrids and plug-in hybrids that combine an internal combustion engine with electric motors and battery packs, offering improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
"...rom this morning BMW another busy year. We've got IX3 Phenomenal care. I was looking to drive it towar..."
The BMW iX3 is a small SUV that runs only on electricity, so it doesn’t use gas and doesn’t make pollution. It’s like a regular car but cleaner and quieter.
The BMW iX3 (G08) is an all-electric SUV based on the X3 platform, offering BMW’s electric mobility with familiar styling and driving dynamics. It is notable as BMW’s approach to electric vehicles, combining zero emissions with premium features.
"So the IX3 is just one in a whole class of amazing cars that we have
We've got the I3 coming out later on this year"
The BMW iX3 is a type of car that runs only on electricity instead of gas. It's a sport utility vehicle, meaning it’s bigger and good for carrying people or stuff, but it doesn’t pollute the air like regular cars.
The BMW iX3 is an all-electric SUV from BMW, part of their electric vehicle lineup. It combines BMW's traditional SUV design with an electric powertrain, offering zero emissions and modern technology.
"We've got the I3 coming out later on this year
We've got more models that are going to be phenomenal"
The BMW i3 is a small car that runs on electricity, making it good for city driving. It’s designed to be eco-friendly and easy to park in tight spaces.
The BMW i3 is a compact electric car known for its unique design and urban-friendly size. It was one of BMW's first mass-produced electric vehicles, combining electric propulsion with sustainable materials.
"Electric cars it's plug-in hybrids and it's combustion engine as well because we've a technology open approach
And we have to find the solution that suits the customer."
Electric cars run on batteries instead of gas. They don’t make smoke or pollution when you drive them, which helps keep the air clean.
Electric cars are vehicles powered entirely or primarily by electricity stored in batteries, rather than traditional internal combustion engines. They produce zero tailpipe emissions and are increasingly popular for environmental reasons.
"Electric cars it's plug-in hybrids and it's combustion engine as well because we've a technology open approach
And we have to find the solution that suits the customer."
A combustion engine is the part of a car that makes it go by burning gas or diesel. It’s the usual engine found in most cars before electric ones became popular.
A combustion engine is a traditional engine that generates power by burning fuel such as gasoline or diesel inside cylinders. It is the most common type of engine used in cars before the rise of electric vehicles.
"Electric cars it's plug-in hybrids and it's combustion engine as well because we've a technology open approach
And we have to find the solution that suits the customer."
Plug-in hybrids are cars that use both electricity and gas. You can charge their batteries by plugging them in, and they can drive a bit using only electricity before using gas.
Plug-in hybrids are vehicles that combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and a battery that can be recharged by plugging into an external power source. They can run on electric power alone for short distances before switching to gasoline.
"From coming from a place where range anxiety range anxiety was constantly thrown at you too
It's it's virtually an eliminated argument now people are seeing"
Range anxiety is when people worry that their electric car might run out of battery before they can find a place to charge it.
Range anxiety refers to the fear or concern that an electric vehicle (EV) has insufficient battery charge to reach its destination or a charging point, which can limit the usability of EVs.
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Welcome back to the Nevo EV news podcast. If it's Tuesday, it must be Nevo EV news day on this week's podcast
We attended the zero emission vehicles Ireland or Zevi stakeholders forum in the Aviva stadium
And we're going to be interviewing a number of the different stakeholders involved from Zevi
But also for some charts point operators some other other government
agencies and
Some OEM partners that are attendance so we'd over 100 people in attendance
It was from 10 a.m. Until lunchtime and we had an update from Zevi as to what was coming and also what has happened over the last
Number of months since the last forum and we also had an infrastructure strategy workshop
Where we had the progress on the development of the 2026 to 2028
National EV infrastructure strategy that will we'll be talking to John Byrne about that
And I'll be putting a link in the description about that and then lastly we had a full on break out
consultation
With five top questions regarding the priorities for government investment priorities for regulations a for review
Which is coming up in Europe cross pavement or private wires
You'd hear a lot of talk about that and also heavy-duty vehicles
So really interesting morning if you're in the electric vehicle space and you want to know what's happening within that space in Ireland from a
Government and policy level introduction from Minister Dara Brian Minister for Transport
So let's get stuck in with the head of Zevi e4 gradie. So let's kick off
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Speeding into the unknown this season
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Ifo Grady head of zero-emission vehicles Ireland if I believe there's a doctor if I you don't think you talk about the doctor enough
Why don't you mention the doctor more often?
two reasons it was a long long time ago
You know I did use it when I first started working as a as a younger female and I kind of felt I needed to
Establish my credentials and let people know I and I kind of think now I have enough experience. I'm comfortable in it
It's not directly relevant to the work that I do
So I've just thought you know what I let it go if I ever need to use it to remind people that I'm a doctor
I do
So we're here at the Viva Stadium and your reference at the opening speech that you picked the right date
Cuz sometimes you don't always get the date right no, I mean I love the Irish rugby team
I love rugby and today we finally managed to bring Zevi and the Irish rugby team together
So it's four years in the making but it finally works
So there was kicking practice going on in school kids out there and all the rest of it giving you cheers as you were giving your speech
Yes, yes, absolutely all for me
Now let's kick into the bones of the today
Lots of people here from different aspects of the electric vehicle space in Ireland. It's great to see the participation
Yeah, it's something I'm always so pleased and heartened
With that we get we do get not just do people show up
But I think we actually get such active engagement from them
So the days we try not to talk too much at people were always in listening mode
I kind of you know this industry is such a new it's still new it's still developing
And so we know we're not going to know more than everyone else out there
So in terms of listening to what the industry is saying to what people who are trying to like people in local authorities are saying
Vehicle manufacturers are saying getting their input into our strategies and policies has been
Really key to us since we started Zevi and then today with the new iteration of the infrastructure strategy
We kickstarted that about last July with actually a very similar group of people
But trying to get their input into well what should be in it and we've gone away
We've been writing and drafting for about seven or eight months now, so then now it's time to bring it back
We've launched a consultation today
But we also there's a few new areas of that strategy that weren't in the last one
And there's some kind of key questions and stuff coming through in that
We just wanted to use today to get an initial view from industry from stakeholders on the challenges and opportunities around those and
How they could be most usefully taken forward
It feels like only yesterday and it was July 2022 or here when Zevi was launched and at the time
It looked like a huge uphill. I like to say opportunity, but some people say challenge
But as an example, I took some notes from your speech the taxi grant opened yesterday morning
Yeah, and you had to close it yesterday at two o'clock because of demand was so sorry because the demand so we're completely over subscribed
Now with the taxi grant a lot of the applications will always fall through
So we've just paused us rather than closed it
We allowed the two or three months for those applications to wash through and then we were we did the same thing last year
But last year took three weeks and it took X amount of hours yesterday
It just shows the success of what you've been doing in Zevi and it's not just Zevi
It's other departments that are collaborating with yourselves to achieve these targets and these goals
If it's frantic you look at my notes to see what we're going to talk about here
What's the next question you talked about 2024 versus 2025 and the EV adoption rate and
How we obviously saw a big uptake and then we saw January 2026 numbers. Yeah, it's all guns blazing skyrocketing
I mean
I'm I was really heartened by 2025 in terms of numbers
But when we looked at the proportion the proportion was actually just back to what 2023 was so what happened in 2025 was we
We came back to where we were in 2023
But it was still in terms of proportion of overall fleet. It was still 19%
So it's really good that we didn't go back any further, but for me, that's two years of flat growth
Yes, you know, so I've been hoping in 2024 we kick on from 2023 2025 we kick on again actually 2025
We're the same but this year now and I mean
You're always when the first numbers start to come through in early January
You're always thinking well, is this just that the Bev manufacturers have got their cars on the forecourt at the right time of the year?
Exactly and they're all ready to go and will it slump off now in February
But from what we've seen the demand is sustained throughout February. So that's really really positive, you know
So it's not just January. It's February 2 now. We're going into March
So I'm really like it'll be for Ireland. It'll be a record break in quarter one
And then it's just and from what we've seen talking to the to the si mi and the vehicle manufacturers
They are saying their order books are still pretty good for the rest of the year. So, you know after 2024
I can never be too optimistic, but you know, it's great
I think we're going in the right direction and new models coming more affordable models coming
There was some delays before Christmas, but certain models coming through as well
So if you say it's not just a January burst and then it dies off
It seems to be good consistency there
That's that's what we're hoping to see and I'm beginning to get more confident in that as the month as the weeks go on
Yeah, EVs and the availability of affordable electric vehicles the different varieties of electric vehicles is great
But you need that charging network to back it up and I'm going to use your quote a slow start
But we're now in sprint mode. Yeah, exactly that that you know, we launched our first national road charging scheme
We announced the contracts for that in July
2024 so that is 19 months ago now doesn't feel like it we still haven't connected anything right
We will see the first connections from that coming on stream
Probably by the end of quarter one this year and what we can see now because we're in close contact with ti
I who run that scheme for us with the charge point operators themselves who are doing their best and with the ESP
We can see that those connection offers are being made that the connections are now going live
And so there's 17 sites on that motorway scheme
I would say 14 to 15 of them going this year brilliant
And then we have the
National road set national primary road scheme, which is actually an easier connection job
So that one only came out last July in 2025, but the capacities on that are smaller
So the connection time isn't as great
We're seeing those coming on stream now. And then the last one is the national secondary roads, which is
Really the scheme that gets into the you know, what is it the parts of the country that other parts don't reach?
And that that really will get us on to the kind of the West Southwest carry West Mayo open to Dunnegull and
Again because of the connection capacities on that not being as stringent as for the first one
Even though that was only launched in November
We expect the vast majority of those sites to go live this year because of that that the capacity isn't needed as strong
But that's every 30 kilometers
But it's something that seems to be manageable more at a local network level rather than needing significant grid upgrades in every in every
Location, there'll be some areas where maybe there's a great upgrade needed
But generally this one seems to be coming in at something that's manageable
Local authorities they've grouped together in their different zones. Yes, my favorite being Mayo zone, which is four or seven
But great to see Dublin kicking in together local authorities there and that's
200 points are going to be coming on stream this year as well
I think they've just I've been talking to both the local authority and the charge point operator
Who's delivering those and they're they've kicked off now in the last week
So they should be going into the ground very very shortly, which will be great
Limerick have also kicked on and they are deploying and delivering infrastructure this year
And then while while the other eight regions are developing out their strategies
We have 27 pilot sites and so we didn't focus in on much of these in the in the presentation
But they're in the strategy some of these are really interesting where there's a mix of DC and AC charging
They're in local council car parks
But the AC charging is being given a discounted night rate for local residents
I don't really like the sound of this
So it's a really it's a it's really squeezing the asset for one grid connection because we know people generally won't use DC charging at night
So what can we do instead?
We can actually use the same connection to do AC charging where people can leave their cars overnight for eight seven or eight hours
Come back in the next morning and collect it and get it at a discounted night rate
So that one is ticking all the boxes and there's a few of those there's one already up and running in Galway
There's one coming in Roscommon Carlos doing another. There's a few of those around the country and I think
checking on what the response and the user
Feedback and usability ratings of those are you know, how much are they being used in daytime and at night time?
We'll give us a sense of how viable that is as an option
I mean that's the system where if I'm living in Roscommon town and I can prove that I don't have the ability of charging because I don't
Have a street parking I can get a fob to get in past the barrier on a discounted night
Right, so it's a walking distance away
And for the charge point operators, it's win-win because no one's using those DC chargers at night anyway
So it brings them, you know on the same connection
You're bringing in a whole new rate of user that you would not have access to before so hopefully it'll work hopefully
Shared Ireland sports scheme it just gets better and better if it was all of the the map was getting denser and denser and charging
So just explain what that system was
So that system is funded through the shared island fund which comes from the Department of the Thieshuk
And one of the conditions of the shared island fund is you fund north and south of the border
So we ran again. This is one of the things a slow walk to a jog to a run and now a sprint
Where we ran an application process back in the day of 2024 and we invited any sports club in Ireland that had
parking that wasn't membership only
And was available to the general public to apply and we provide the capital grant for the installation and connection of EV infrastructure
So we've 225 sports clubs who are eligible have had the parking in the facilities in the right way and have three phase connection
which of course is key and
then last November we
concluded a
Procurement framework where we appointed approved charge point operators
So there's three of those now on the scheme and then it's up to the a little bit of a dance for the
Sports clubs and the charge point operators should come together agree terms agree at least and once they come to us and say yes
We've got this here's our signed
Contracts documents. We were appointing this person then we say okay release the funds and we're hoping for the first of those to be
Live within the next three to four months. It's all coming together in 2026
Very good bumper year for EV infrastructure. It was great to see the universal design
Guidance the document coming out a couple years ago again probably 2024
And you were saying that we're potentially in the field of that within the European context as well
I were feeding into a European we're feeding into a European one, but actually who was it? I won't say the name of
Well, because it's not my work. It's my colleagues work. So I will I will blow his trumpet, but
An international charge point operator I had a meeting with last year and she said I cannot compliment you
More highly on the stuff that we have used this as our template for designing our charge point stations
And this wasn't a start-up. This was a no
This is an international company that's coming to Ireland has a big European presence
And it's actually it's not a charge point. I'm sorry. It's it's a manufacturer
Okay, hard to our manufacturer and that was fantastic feedback to get and I mean our whole point on this is
You know, we can roll out EV charging in accessible only parking spaces
But if we do that, we know because of you know, we're still only six percent of all vehicles
That will not be a fully utilized asset and we love charging in there
And if it's blue badge only we won't have enough cars using it to be commercial
So what we're doing in the interim is making sure that all state funded infrastructure is universally accessible in so far as
Is possible in any one location? We have the guidelines charge point operators. We would love them to take them on obviously
They love their own I think in fairness to them. They're doing best endeavors
There are some sites where it is just really really challenging and if that's your site, that's your site
So for their private work, they're following them as best they can
But for anything public we're saying this is a minimum requirement
It's written into the contracts and at least then we will know that there's a kind of a bare bones network of
Universally accessible or universally designed anyway
Evie charging stations that anyone should be able to use a blue badge only no
Yeah, because there was a couple of people looking for blue badge only Evie charging
And it's not really a solution for us because it's really difficult commercially you'd have to subsidize it so much
So really we thought well instead why don't we just put in a good quality of universal design because actually a lot of people
With when you get to Evie charging, they're very heavy cables
There is digital stuff and reading and you know, so there's there's it's wider than just
Having a blue badge, which is a very narrow definition you want and it's a new technology
So the easier and more accessible we can make that technology for everyone to use the more likely it is that Evie owner Evie
Potential Evie owners will purchase an Evie because they know that the space is easy. It's there. They'll have enough space
They're not going to be crammed in the cable won't be too heavy
They'll understand what's happening on the digital prompter all of that should be straightforward last one before I let you go
If you've been talking all morning, I won't keep it too long is big news
Well a big news, but there's a lot of talk about private wires. Yes
Yeah, so a private wire we have legislation in Ireland which means it is not legal to run a private wire across a public footpath or road
What that basically means is anytime you see someone with the vacuum cleaner out across the pavement vacuuming their car
They're actually breaking the law the guards are busy the guards are busy
But also for Evie charging we do see a lot of informal
Home charging and I mean there's people who live in my neighborhood
We don't have off-street parking and they run a cable across like the granny plug three pin cable across the curb
And they use that to charge the car often
They'll put a mat over to stop it being a trip hazard and that's fine
But it's not really a sustainable solution and it's definitely not something that we can fund
So our home charger at the moment is restricted to people who can demonstrate they'd off-street parking if you can't demonstrate
You've off-street parking you won't get a home charger from us
What we're doing is working with colleagues in the department for communications and energy who have responsibility for the electricity sector
And they're developing legislation that will bring in an easement on private wires
It won't be a free-for-all, but it will allow us to bring in a framework for particular solutions
So there's a couple we've been looking at there's a few being deployed in other countries
So there's one in the UK and Germany which we quite like which is a sub-curve channel
So basically you dig a cat a channel under the curb there is a flap that's put over it
That means it's not a trip hazard. It is safe for people with mobility issues or wheelchair users
It's it's flat
But you have your home charger and when you want to use your home charger to charge your vehicle
You lift up the flap you have the key to it
You put the home charger cable underneath it you flap it down and then it charges your vehicle and only you have access to it
Now there's a number of complexities around it because obviously you're never guaranteed a space outside your house if you
Are doing on-street parking
There's liability issues. There's worry. There's worry and you know completely justifiable worries from people who have
Mobility issues about well, is this just another trip hazard that I'm going to deal with so we've set up
We're in government. So what do we do? We've set up a working group
We've set up a group involving insurance industry charge point operators local authorities and or we're about to set one up
And we'll try and make sure that we're getting the balance right in here
And when we set up when we when the legislation comes in we will have a system
Which is not a free-for-all is relatively tightly controlled
But in certain approved circumstances people will be able to avail of a home charging solution where they don't have off-street parking
And I think that will be a big game changer as part of our working group today
We brought up the example of Adam's town, which is dedicated space across foot back
But unfortunately they weren't allowed to cross that foot back. So I straight away an easy win there
Before you even start looking at local authorities and public footpaths. If before I let you go
What are you most excited about in 2026 in the world of electric vehicles?
I'm sure you're excited about that. The Irish rugby team are training up outside. So I'm very excited about Ireland v Wales. I have to say
In electric vehicles, I am really interested in what's going to happen with HDVs this year
I kind of think we've locked in our LDV infrastructure. We can see
Light duty vehicles are on the right track. And actually what I didn't mention as well as the LDV passenger cars
We've seen a huge increase in commercial vans in the EV sector this year. So that's really like that's doubling
It's a hundred percent up on January last week
The variety and the different chip sizes are all coming through now. The customers seem to be responding and so that's really good
But I think HDVs we have the HDV pathway group, which we've been working on for the past seven months
We're about to present a report to the minister from that group next week
We've had a study done from the European Investment Bank on you know
How do you square the circle of delivering HDV charging in a way that's commercially viable and not costing the stage a huge amount of money?
so we're going to pull all that together and
We will be running our first public procurement for HDV charging later this year, but the other thing we're seeing with HDVs
It's a bit like LDVs were maybe three years ago that the battery technology isn't is just coming on and leaps and bounds
I was at a launch for BWG, which is spar
mm-hmm a couple of months ago and they had a HDV that can do a fully laden
Load from Dublin to Cork and back without needing a charge said two years ago
They bought exactly the same vehicle and that battery gets them from
Dublin to Tipperary Limerick and back so in two years the distance is the distance
They've got an extra 200 kilometers in range and and it's the same price and for Ireland
That's a game changer because we're such a small country and that's been depot a depot charging
I know it's all part of the truth that you're only working so I'm really hopeful that this year will be the beginning
For HDVs of what we saw in 2022 for LDVs
Which is kind of all kicked off. You're most excited this year for electric trucks. Yeah, I know
Who'd have known four years ago if I thank you so much for your time. Thanks Derek. Hi Derek
My name is Hugh Hul from e-power found a director
Chargepoint operator of e-power
We're here at
The Zevi conference in the in the Aviva where there's actually an open training rugby event on today as well
So we're delighted to be here double fold. Absolutely
Hugh
Congratulations on what's been a huge success with e-power every time I open up link dinner on social media
There's a new hub opening up and that just doesn't happen in a day or a week or a month
There's huge planning to that and that expansion of your charge point operating network is growing every single day
it is so
Rome wasn't built in the day and it's taken a long long time to get here
We're one of the a long-term
Partner here in the EV charging infrastructure here
From a public point of view we've been operating for the last three to four years building contacts
Putting it the whole thing together and it's actually only in the last six months
So are we actually going to ground? Yes, and actually getting getting product in the ground
But now there's a significant momentum behind it and they're all starting to come to fruition
So the social media has been busy social media
They've been busy that's on the public side on the commercial side. You've got the fleets
You know that they're all coming on board as well because they want access to the the public network as well
So we're able to provide fleets
Access to roaming across all the charges nationwide as well
And it's not just that commercial
Charge point network that you also have you do domestic stuff. So it's there's a e-power isn't just one trick pony
There's a number of aspects to the business correct. We have three and four verticals of the truth been owned
So we've with the domestic home charging
We've got the commercial which is the fleets
And there's an element of home charging for the for the fleet as well because you've got the commercial charger in the home
And then you've got the public and now we also have solar because so the solar is actually
It sits nicely with with the EV charging because it completes the ecosystem the story of the renewable energy source
What we find is and I was talking to email from SEI there just before you you that when somebody goes electric
They start to be very energy conscious as to how they're powering their home their car, etc
And solar battery storage all becomes part of their knowledge base and they start to become much more aware of us
Whereas originally they would have got a bill in the post and they would have paid it and they wouldn't have thought much about it
But when everything becomes the one bill that they come to think how do they optimize it?
Yeah, and it makes sense. I mean, it's it's lovely to see
Your own power being produced on your own roof. Yes, or wherever
You know and then the actual savings that that you can make so they're the physical cost savings
But also you've got security of supply as well
So straight away, you know between five and seven in the evening the grid gets a bit tight
Yeah
So it you know if you if you can actually have a battery backup system that can support your own
EV charging or building, you know, it makes perfect sense
What I see if you just switching back to the charge point operator side of your business and the charging network
I see faster charging speeds multiple units per home
Things have changed since the start of the charity network in Ireland where it was a 50 kilowatt down the back of a car park
Now your front and center you've multiple units per site and a much more higher output
But that's tough because the grid is tight as you say panic permission, etc
But you're seemed to be doing it and winning those kind of tenders and contracts like the Dublin City one
Yeah, so the Dublin local authority tenders now
So this up to 200 DC charges being being being put in across the four local authorities
And those installations will be starting from mid-march. Wow
Now it's taking a long time to get there, but but like everything it takes takes while but it's been done, right?
Which is very very important for all the right reasons
But those installations will be starting from mid-march onwards
And I see a lot of the trunk roads around the country certainly fill up at e-power stations as well multiple units as well
Yeah, so what one of the more recent ones that we've opened is actually being down in Tullamore
So we've opened up five
200 kilowatt DC charges
So that's 10 spaces. So that's it's a significant hub
In Tullamore itself just on the ring road there. So and Tullamore being central in the country
You know, it's it's great access and strategic point within the country itself
Very good, but that has taken two years of planning to get that far. It's yeah
It's not yesterday or last week or last month as I mentioned
How do you find on the hardware side?
Very much I look at the Ryanair model where they've gone with Boeing and they've only said with Boeing
But with e-power you can't really put your eggs in one basket
So different hardware providers as a church wind operator has its positive but also negatives with spare parts, etc
Are you going to settle on one provider or is it working with multiple hardware providers?
So typically we use a model of three hardware very good providers per channel
So three in domestic three in commercial and three in public and you know, you
You may be in the Ryanair model
But where this industry is continually evolving and being very innovative
We need to be front and center and it's it's we're managing more suppliers
But quite frankly we've got a better security of supply as a result if something fails on one of the three
Yeah, the other two industry things are going to fail for whatever reason
But we've a plan B and a plan C then as a result and it might even be fail you it might be like in Italy
We had the fire one of the factories in one of the providers hardware providers and
Overnice like that supply chain is caught and if you're reliant on that and there are some church wind operators in Europe
That were supply relying on that stand alone sole provider
I was in Poland the year and a half ago and in the eco genica eco energetica plant
I can't say it right at all, but I did see e-power on one of the stickers
It was great to see they would be one of our three on the public side and a great provider and a great
In Poland great to see it and Poland market wouldn't be huge in the EV adoption side of things
So to develop a product that isn't going to be sold initially in your home market is difficult
But I was very proud as an Irish man to see the e-power and that they could charge you're being delivered to cork
They look like they're doing great things as well. Yeah, so we use those and
Units in tele more as it happens. Very good. Yeah, so echo energetical. There'd be a strong
Provider of ours looks like good one of the tree on the public sector
Plans for 2026 you before I let you go. What's the outlook looking like? I'm sure no doubt. You're gonna be busy
We've got a build keep going
We've lots of contracts brilliant done and dusted. We just need to get on with it now
Okay, them in the ground wait. We've were properly funded. We took in funding last year
So we're very well financed. We now just need to get on with it
Yes bottlenecks supply ESP networks is it as a difficult to get the grade as people are saying or just you're on the list
And you get it when you get here. It is difficult. There's no doubt about look
I get it from the ESP side of it as well, you know, we're only one industry
There's a lot of other industries that they have to talk to as well. No, we are critical
We are strategic from a government side, but you know, and we were
Continually in touch with them to see what we can do. Yes, but transparency is very important as well
You know if if if we know that we can't get a connection for a year and a half
Well, we'll move on and we'll find another one
But there's no point in putting investment and you know
Plans sitting there have it sitting there and not be able to do anything for you and a half difficult
So, you know communication both ways. Yeah, it's certainly very very helpful and all fairness
We're working hard on it. Very good. The two of us together. Thank you. Thanks so much for your time. That's sure
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My barry SC AI program manager for electric vehicles
You know, we're at the stakeholder event here and lands down road the of Eva stadium
Can you tell us what's happening in your little moment with regards to electric vehicles?
Yes, it's been a fantastic start to the air with EV's outselling petrol and diesel, which is fantastic
We're also running a fleet assessment program
So any business looking to get some help on how to electrify their fleet can apply to SC AI and get appointed an assessor
They'll get looking at the fleet they look at what energy you need
They look at what charging you might need and give you a plan and a pathway to electrify in your fleet really good
Lots of businesses don't realize that they could go electrics or having that independent assessor coming in looking at the raw data
Exactly very much about the data. Yeah, so fleet assessment is one scheme. What else is happening in SC AI?
We still have grants for electric vehicles
So if you are buying a private passenger car, you'll get a grant
3500 and then if you are looking as a business to buy a van and depending on the size of the van
It's either 3800 or 7600 of a grant. There's still VRT reductions available and you're also paying the lowest motor tax
Chargers as well home chargers. Yeah, it's still home charger grant available of 300 euros
So you just apply to SC AI online get approval and then go and install your charger
Your charge point operator can also apply on your behalf and they can be paid directly by SC AI
Nice and you would was a case before where you had to take a picture of the car and all that kind of stuff
But that's all gone though because I did it in my parents house and I was able just to put in the MPRN number and then
We I think we still do need a photograph of the charger itself chargers out. Not the car
You don't have to have a car so you can it's there's one charger grant available per MPRN
Very good. So lots of support there for people businesses and
Regular humans as I like to call them
What are your expectations for 2026?
I'm expecting to be a really good year this year
I mean we're looking at a 4% increase on on EVs this year
So I'm hoping that that will continue the sale of electric fans has improved it is 5% of market share
Which I know isn't huge
But it has only been about one and a half to two three percent the last couple years and the vans have improved hugely
There's a lot more coming online huge number more of different types of vehicles as well coming with leap motors just joined
I know Nissan have a new micro out
So there's loads of new vehicles coming on stream, which is fantastic to see and we've also saw
HTV's more interested in that as well bigger outlay so there's a different set up with regards to that size of an investment
Yeah, so TII are the ones who have the grants for the HTV's, but it's it really is you know
They're they're getting there and charging is a challenge as well
There's grants available for a depot charging for HTV's as well from TII
So they're definitely things if you're in that space to look at very good
So lots of support for purchasing a vehicle
But there was a reduction in those grants a couple of years ago
But that was funded over then towards the development of the network and we're going to be hearing about allowed
I'm talking to you. We're at the start of the event. I haven't heard all the updates yet from 2026
But that growth of that charging network is very important to give confidence to you drivers our prospective EV drivers
Yeah, I think we've gone from kind of you know, range anxiety to charge anxiety will the charge of their will it be working
But I think looking at the numbers the charges and what's been installed and even to see in around the country so many more fast charges available
You know in local areas and you know in your local, you know
Retail park as well. There's loads loads of charges around these days. So it is definitely
Reducing that concern again. Most people are going to charge at home
And on a nighttime rate and I suppose one thing is to look at is definitely what electricity rates you're on what tariff you're on
There's loads of tools out there that you can look at and and just see well
What should I actually be using and actually look at your energy use so ESB networks?
You can download when you're using your energy if you if you have an account with them
It's very easy to set it up
So definitely it's worth looking at what energy you're using how you're using it and when you're charging your EV
The smart meter is the key to a lot of that as well
So it's not just a guesstimation and it's a day rate night rate
It's for X amount of minutes is a 15 or 30 minutes. There's a slight time slot
Yeah, you can see your energy is every 30 minutes on your ESB networks account
Some some some of the energy providers will also give you that on their apps depending who you're with
So it's definitely worth
Looking into that and and really thinking about most of them are between two and five in the morning some do two to six
They get a much cheaper rate
And then if you have solar PV then you're also either charging your car off that or you can sell that back to the grid
Depending on what you want to do while you're using it in your house
That's another part of SEI obviously solar PV grants and also home battery storage energy upgrade. There's so much evil out going on
I know you're specific
You can really start to make it
Energy efficient your home. You're living your driving the whole package. Yeah, and I see I've just recently increased all the grants for the individual
Upgrades so heat pump is now gonna put in the 12,000 euros of a grant if you're doing as an individual measure
There is the one-stop shop if you want to do a deep retrofit, so it's definitely thinking about how you use your energy
I think a lot of people start looking at their energy more once they get an electric vehicle
So I think if you're thinking of getting an EV start looking at your energy use and change in provider every year
There's definitely savings to be made if you move provider
They will always offer you discount for 12 months, so it's definitely worth always looking to see what's out there
Absolutely, we get a bit complacent as to thinking that we're going to be paid for loyalty and that's not the case
Amor, thanks so much for your time
It's great to hear that whatever that's the grant for the car because sometimes I still get that so that as a question
People see the sticker price and they think that all the grant comes off that but the manufacturer the dealer looks after all that for you
Sounds like the home charger nearly the installer sometimes will look after that as well or the energy provider
So that's very little hassle to benefit from all these government subsidies
Yeah, indeed. I mean for in relation to the car grant the dealer does do that for you
So generally their sticker price is the price with the grant already taken off it and generally the whatever VRT reduction you might get as well
So don't think you're gonna get another 3.5,000 off sticker price
But definitely there is there isn't a huge amount of hassle in it and the dealer does it all for you in relation to the home charger
It's a very quick application online and if your charge point operator does it for you even less to do perfect Amor
Thanks so much for your time. Thanks, Eric
Hi, I'm Andrew Johnson from MG Ireland, and I'm the national sales manager and Andrew tomorrow
We're at the MG S6 launch, but today we're at the Zevi stakeholder event
How are things going with MG in your electric and plug-in hybrid side of business? Yeah, it's going really strong
We've got a really good start to 2026 and we've plenty new models now coming
With the S6 which will launch now tomorrow. I think you're at that event. Yeah
Some more to come in the podcast about that. Yes, so we're really excited about that car
So that will will sit above. It's like the big brother to s5 and
We will have the car launched tomorrow with price and also release that brilliant
I saw it in Brussels off anybody's interest to go over and have a look on the YouTube channel a couple weeks ago
I was also in the UK and we had the MG for urban EV launched there
That's gonna be a game changer Andrew once we get the idea prices come in Ireland
Yes, we're also really excited about that car
We don't have any price and as of yet, but we are working on it
But we hope to have that car launched in Ireland for approximately around May time
Okay, with an eye on the 262 registrations. Very good. You're here today
It's great to see OEMs here the importance of the Zevi and the rollout of that public charging network really is
Important to your customers as well
So your reason that you're here is to make sure that you're involved in what's happening with that government policy
Absolutely, it's vital that we have a really really strong charging infrastructure in the country and just to support the EVs
as OEMs
Like we obviously want to get involved with Zevi and try and give our take on what we think should be needed in the country
So it's always good to give our feedback and be fair to Zevi to take feedback on really well
And yeah, hopefully we just see some more charges in there in the road
What I see around the country is that with that more charging hubs coming online people become more aware. They're more visible now
We hope we both know we're both drive electric a lot of charges on at home
But for somebody to take that leap into an electric vehicle
They need to see that that charging network is getting stronger if and when they do need to utilize it
But what we're also finding is your S5 and S6 the battery size in that the range is in that
Sometimes you wouldn't even need to stop and charge because you can get around the country without it
Yeah, absolutely. I always say it we live in an island and it's not a very big island either
So we're ideal for EVs. So if we can get a reasonably strong charging infrastructure
There's no reason why EVs don't work across the country and as you mentioned a lot of charging is done at home
But if you do need to go that extra long journey
The charging infrastructure is there just to back that up. Andrew, great to see you today. Thank you very much for your time. No problem. Thanks, Eric
Hi Derek, it's Laura Condren from BMW Grave Ireland and I am the corporate communications and strategy manager
Very good, Laura. We're here at the Zevi stakeholder forum. You've been participating BMW have been participating since this day started
How do you find the day so far? Oh, it's fantastic
It's so great to be with so many people across the broad spectrum of the industry that I suppose and
You know the electric car and industry has it's not just manufacturers and
Franchises and distributors. It's it's so many different stakeholders, you know from local government to
Private operators in the market and everything. So it's great and Zevi are such a fantastic
Organization headed up by Eve and you know, she's brilliant
Well, I find is once you start to see and understand the network roll out and the charging of it
It gives the manufacturers great confidence
But also you can go back and give that message to your customers because when they're buying an electric or an electrified BMW or mini
They can say well, you know what there's more chargers coming if you're concerned about that. Yeah, definitely. I think knowledge is power in this
Domain and I think it's really important for us as the manufacturer to understand actually what is happening behind the scenes and the
complexities that exist in electric car charging. So like when you think of and
You know, you rock up and you your car can actually be recognized by the
Charging station, you know what goes behind that the data sharing the
legalities all that kind of stuff that goes in behind the network is so interesting and you know
It really is kind of so important to know because it's such a complex and area and industry and to be in at the moment
And and no easy task for the government to
Forge the way and with that and it's great that they're taking feedback from stakeholders like ourselves whether it's Nevo
Whether it's BMW mini etc
Interesting to hear about private wires
So people that don't have off-street park and that that legislation is coming in
So going to open up another cohort to people that could potentially buy an electric or electrified BMW or mini
Yeah, I mean you think that when you hear the word private wires
It's not really that clear what it actually is and to me, you know
People would just think that it's a cable going across somebody's pathway outside their house if they live in a red brick terrace in Dublin
And but it's actually more and you know
Somebody has their own space outside their house that and that they could actually have a charging
Station on it. They could rent it out. They could do whatever but there's so many issues with getting a cable across somebody's driveway from a
Usability perspective if somebody's disabled the insurance behind it all of those kind of things
So and there is an opportunity with it
But I think that maybe and it might not be the answer that we're looking for in terms of trying to get the number of
Charging stations up in localities where there is kind of that
Not so much off-street charging and that local hubs probably present a bigger and cleaner clearer opportunity for
The industry to look at moving away from this morning BMW another busy year. We've got IX3
Phenomenal care. I was looking to drive it towards the end the last year
So a lot of expectations there and other models coming down the line as well
Yeah, and just in relation to the IX3 and this event today and they actually spoke about
Bidirectional charging and I think that that's a huge opportunity because say with the likes of and you know the weather that we've had and
Having a car on your driveway that actually operates as a battery that you'll be able to
Charge up the fridge and keep the lights going for a day or two while the power goes out as a phenomenal opportunity
But this car is just such a brilliant
Representation of what's coming for the company
We were just in Munich there this week with all the retailers and they got to see what's coming down the line for the next two years
So the IX3 is just one in a whole class of amazing cars that we have
We've got the I3 coming out later on this year
We've got more models that are going to be phenomenal and in the next two years and a huge amount of them as well
And it's not just
Electric cars it's plug-in hybrids and it's combustion engine as well because we've a technology open approach
And we have to find the solution that suits the customer. So we can't just go one
Go down one route because what suits us in Ireland doesn't suit somebody in Sub-Saharan Africa or in
South America as well. So it's a really interesting time. Very good
Also with the IX3 we've got 800-volt architecture sourced faster charging
So these more high-powered chargers that we were talking about today and when you look at the map that was presented
It's great to see that geographical coverage
Around the country whether it's Tony Gall for you whether it's Mayo for me to see those faster charging speeds
Because that just means people driving an IX3 or whatever it may be
They're gonna be shorter time charging and they're gonna be on the road up and running again
Yeah, I think I think no one's actually mentioned range today at this event at all
Which is like the first time ever, but yeah, like I X3 has a range of about 800 kilometers
That's WLTP. So real world, you know, you're looking at over six six fifty
And so it's really exciting time now that we kind of are getting over that hump in that period
You see the numbers of sales and out taking and petrol and diesel
So we're kind of midway through the decade we're midway through the journey and I think that you know in the next two years
Really the conversation about charging times and range is gonna really slip away because it's just gonna become the norm
Now with such good product coming down the line
It sounds like your job might be easier Laura because it's the product sells itself
Yeah, well, we're we're actually I was asking you about the dates for the Nevo show and the or DS and because
We're busy planning out the last quarter of the year. We have the I3 coming and the start of communication and the
full-on kind of
Focus for getting it to market is on the 30th of September
So we're looking at and you know bringing over the car to get customers to see it before it arrives in Ireland and
Possibly next year to or well, it will be here in December
But just ahead of like the sales period in January. So that's a real big focus for us this year
But then we have new X7 new ice
I
Like the list is just we've got updates to IX1 and updates to a load of other cars as well
So there's a lot of new product coming on and and yeah, and it's great like mini did really well last year BMW and
Number one premium segments. So we'll try and hold on to that this year
Competition that space but again is the product is strong. It makes your job easier, but stop tough competition common
Yeah, definitely. We've got IX3 coming in March now as well. So and yeah, we're confident in our product
I mean the the IX3 is so different to a lot of the other
Models that we've brought out recently, but still has the same familiarity
So if you are a current customer, you'll still find it easier going into the next car
And we have this new pillar to pillar design across the and dashboard
Which I think a lot of people and find really really interesting and really good to have in the car
So and I think we'll have other people looking to us in terms of our designs now and our
I found that when I interviewed some of your colleagues from BMW
VP the board level and that panoramic eye drive and they were talking about how your suppliers are saying that's other than some of
The competitors have been looking to see can they get that technology as well?
So yeah looking forward to seeing it and you haven't already watched my video
You can have a look over on the YouTube channel Laura. Thank you so much for your time. You're very welcome Derek. Thank you
Hi, I'm John Byrne. I'm the head of the customer experience. It's happy and John today
You're leading a very intensive workshop on the strategy 2026 to 2028
You give a valid point of you could go to 2030, but it's such a fast moving environment
There was no point trying to plan out for five years three years is the ideal length of time
Yeah, we there was a bit of debate internally over the length of the strategy
Obviously, there's a lot of work that goes into a strategy as you might appreciate
There's a lot of stakeholder input. There's a lot of internal work and then there's the whole publication the conversion the translation to Irish
So it's it's it's a tall order, but
Two reasons why we went for the three years
I guess want to continue down from the precedent that being set, but
one of the real
pointers towards a three-year strategy was the AFRA review in 2027 which
May profoundly alter the post 2028
trajectory particularly in the area of HDV where there may be
concessions and equally if
Like we've done a bit of work
With the EIB and whatnot and there are some derogations available to Ireland if we want to select them
I'm one of the questions you saw today was actually asking the audience what like what the audience
Should feed into that AFRA review so all of that
The further away from 2026 you get becomes more and more opaque
So we decided to cut it at 2028 and base it on the next three years when you launched it last July
Yeah, many submissions that you say you got John so the well for the 2022 25 strategy 12,000
Wow observations submissions comments, etc
We we only launched last July the 2026 28 strategy
For stakeholders to garner their input at the earliest stage and use it as kind of
In addition to the carry on from the previous strategy is building blocks to 2028
Some of the team attic areas would have been well well known and documented which we covered today
They would have existed back then
But it was to set the work off on the right direction, so we weren't aiming in one particular direction
Whereas the industry and all stakeholders thought we would be better focused here
And that was very much about tweaking you were saying now
You're saying that the initial was that the purpose and principles didn't change a syllable not a syllable
So there were there's a number of personas like apartment dwellers truck drivers
Taxi drivers they have changed they've been updated I'd say and we've added to but the five
Core fundamental principles haven't changed. I guess one that the electrification transport is part of the wider shift in transport
That the majority of charging will be done at home. Mm-hmm where
Citizen can charge at home options will be provided
And then there's other principles around that the system must be interoperable
And then it's accessible to all around the universal design guidelines and they're all that you know like they're all still absolutely
Relevant so literally it was a copy and paste from the previous strategy into this strategy
So I was saying that I was the only part of the strategy to undergo pretty fundamental change
And but it was good to anchor up there. Do you find having so many variety of stakeholders in the room?
It's a good thing or it's sometimes can be challenging to rain the mean you do it
And you don't actually mix the tables only it's copped on now afterwards
Everybody kind of sits in a separate table and on my table. I had OEM. I had local authority
I had government so there was a great mix on the table. Yeah, I
We don't mix we don't forcefully mix like a wedding. We don't set
We let people sort of choose their own but they are large tables. They're 10 to 12 seats each so
Traditionally, no one entity would bring more than maybe four for some of the bigger CPO
So you're you're nearly guaranteed a mix of players at that table. So we haven't seen the need to
forcefully say, oh, no, you sit here, please. Yes there, please
Yeah, there's there's brilliant interaction there always is
the
We we do find that there can be a deeper level of interaction on the one-to-ones
Which is why we offer that to sort of the stakeholders that are that are here
For some reasons their voice may not be heard at the table and hence not in the room or whatever
Okay, they may not be represented or fully represented. So we offer that as well
but the
The one commitment we give in return for people given their time today is that we will then
invest their thoughts their energies their
Their their commentary into the final product
Speaking of the final product before I let you go John
He's got the submission deadline coming up on eight weeks tomorrow or today if you're listening to the podcast on Friday
So eight weeks left if somebody does want to have a look to see what's there and make their submissions and you're taking submissions for everybody
It's not just in business. It's these members of the public
There's a really nice user-friendly
Set of questions on the website that you can just follow through
You don't I don't think you have to physically write anything
It's just a quick process all the way through if you want to do that
There's also multiple options for a free text input if you want to do that
Uh, but yeah, we've eight weeks as I said as we said just previously in the last full consultation on this
It's hugely hugely irrelevant. It's current and there's
212,000 drivers now. So what we find is that a huge amount of people submit their observations
We then allow a certain amount of time to correlate them
Uh to review them some are very very detailed
Brilliant, you know, you can really see the effort that people have gone into
Reading it critiquing it and seeing how it can be approved
And I would have made a point twice in a room that this is but this is not a finished article
And we pay lip service to to any subsequent input received
Quite the opposite in fact
It's it's designed and we have a really flexible designer that the document can be pulled and pushed around to allow for
Changes additional content content to be taken out
Whatever people feel you're in the space you're driving EVs are out there charging as well
So we kind of know what's happening
But it's great to get so much input into it and then mix up as to where we are today
But where we'd like to be in 2028 and the setting that roadmap for the future
I I think the cpo's have really stepped up. They've done a huge amount without any public funding
Uh, there's lots of people just privately funding lots of the work
The government has stepped up. They're doing ldv one two three the sports club scheme
I think collectively there there's in the region 700 charge points just in those four schemes alone
Before private before any private has been done
I think the latest figure at the end of 20 25 is 3200 odd
It's in and around 3200 charge points
And that is just phenomenal progress and like what existed three or four years ago
I mean, I remember my my previous role one of the first hypercharger
I put it was in 2021 and and that was the first in the country. Uh, and that's only five years ago. It's crazy
We think there's there's hundreds that web address. Do you know what I find?
I'll put it into the description on the podcast. It's a gov dot gov dot ie forward slash en forward slash consultations
I will put it into the description
Uh, last question before I let you go. What are you most excited about in 2026?
I'm in a bv capacity. Yeah, I was excited about the rugby in the Wales game, but
I think two things. I I just I've
I've had maybe 20 conversations here just the volume of car models out there is incredible. I've set your show
I presented that I spent a wonderful afternoon
wishing
It's dangerous. Yeah, you know, I wish I could buy two or four of the cars some cars are one thing. Um, but it's been
From coming from a place where range anxiety range anxiety was constantly thrown at you too
It's it's virtually an eliminated argument now people are seeing
And with their own two eyes all the charges going in everywhere
And I think at the end of 26 that will be put to get to bed forever
Potentially and that's a big that's a big way in for the industry and the government and everyone switching to electric
I think very good. What I see is with bigger batteries faster charging the charging network gets it stronger
It's becoming the barriers to as you said, it's not range anxiety anymore
It's really there's no reason you shouldn't go electric
I I
When you consider that you can get amazing overnight charging tariffs and
Some as low as eight nine cents. And if you're if you have a 60 kilowatt hour battery, which is probably average
Yep, you fill up for five euros 40 cents
It's it's not free motoring
But it is is substantially cheaper than any other form of motoring that you can do
And I guess that's one of the reasons why
In the strategy we pay such heat trying to get this private wires legislation done and dusted and then setting up the various
Working groups with the local authorities
ESB
Obviously
Cpo's to get a solution that works for everyone because the benefits are really really big for everyone
I've heard just a before like, you know the economics. Yes really makes sense. They kind of make sense
If if if you're using the public network
It's a no-brainer. It's a no-brainer. Once you have a home charger exactly John. Thank you so much for your time my absolute pleasure
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Thanks, Eric Thomas McGuire
Secretary Irish TV association
Thomas great to see that the association is involved in these stakeholder events here at Zevi
What are you most excited about from what came out today's presentation?
It was good to see that we seem to move
Moved on a lot to focusing on
You know what's been talked about in previous years actually being delivered
All the charges that have still to go into the ground this year, which should be coming online
I believe said the majority of them think will be going that way and to get some heads up on
Was a changes to planning regulations which should enable
Charges to go in for domestic users. That's a chat about private wires
Thomas you're great with the Irish TV association and the website
You're you're the man that takes all the planning applications around the country
And so if people want to see what EV charging hubs are coming into the area
That just can go to the website and get going to the infrastructure update section. Is that right? Yep. That's it
it's a combination of planning applications and
Other
I suppose data sources that come up because not everything needs to plan an application. Yes
And so we're chatting with cpo's there are some corporate members that we work with the likes of e-power etc
And so we can really see on the ground and thankfully we can invite it along to these launches as well
Recently you were down with ESP in
Where were you? I know before Christmas we were at santa claus up in
The black rock frascati center in black rock bush jack whites was recently as well
Yep jack whites and I was over at
E powers new charging hub in was a tulip or tulip or that's five charges of 10 spaces. Yep 10 ccs connectors
unbelievable
So lots of positive news coming out there and as we can see on the website, we've have over 100
potential applications in and chargers in the ground bush from what we've seen today
ldv1 ldv2 ldv3
sports
shared Ireland scheme
There's a lot more chargers going to be coming this way in 2026
Yes, it was 450 up power down or sorry 450 ccs alone got power down last year. So
I try to be hopeful for at least that much going this year
Some of it depends on how quickly you know ESP get them connected those
Yeah fingers crossed
I think it's a game changer and so I always say when people see that the chargers are going in the ground
That that takes away that range anxiety and we didn't talk about that at all today
There was no mention around anxiety and then we had the oems in the room and so more charge
There's more cars the more choice of cars is there as well
What are you excited about car wise in 2026?
Some of the Chinese brands, I mean they're driven. They might be in Europe now as left hand drives
So it's just waiting for some of them to come over right hand drives. So we've got our nails
We've got our firefly ziker
Someone else I like
So it's nice to see it
Currently a two car household with ev you're a long time in the association
You do a lot of mileage here
One of the only people that have driven around the country in an ev in one go and have tracked it up twice
He's done it twice folks
Something that I haven't done myself
But any plans for something like that crazy in 2026 before I let you go
I suppose maybe if
What's a change car maybe?
But I think even on that I one thing it did it'll straight to me when I did the second time was just
You know the quantity of additional chargers and the speed of them
Because I spent a lot less time charging to someone
Because it was faster. It was three 25 minute stops for like 1200 kilometers to do the whole circumference of Ireland. Yeah
Yeah, wextured up the bell fast over to like letter Kenny down to clarny and
Very good. Sure. Cork
Great work with the Irish EV association. The AGM is coming up in a couple of weeks
And so we're looking forward to seeing that if people want to get involved. We also have a couple of different levels
We've got members. We've got paid members. We've got partners as well from corporate side of things
The great work that the Irish EV association are doing before I let you go
What do you think is the thing that we're going to be looking at 2026?
I'd say about most people are probably looking forward to would be
Curb or sorry to cross babe and charging private wires seems to be big big uh
Yeah
Exactly a lot of people want to go EV
They can park outside your house, but for sake of a
You know a meter or two. They have problems and we're holding
and as was mentioned it
Deposit legislation and yeah quality out and that's
Over the next six months or so brilliant. Thank you very much Thomas for your time. Thanks
Thanks to all the in view interviewees
Um for their time today at the stakeholder forum. We've really enjoyed it
It's great being involved in this. We have been involved in the stakeholders forum
It's a brief since the very start and great to have a mix of cpo's charge point operators not the news too many acronyms
oems distributors manufacturers
local authorities
semi-state bodies and and others
And so thanks for the invitation and hopefully the new contribution is of value
If you're interested in finding out more about what Nevo's doing
I head over to nevo.ee and you can register for our newsletter follow us on socials
And last but by no means least reminder that the nevo driving experience and partnership at bank of ireland is going to be down in
Cork in the marina market from 10 a.m. To 5 p.m. On sunday march the 8th
If you haven't already registered, please do so and the test drive details are going out
And all the list of all the brands that are going to be there. So there's going to be test drives
There's going to be local experts. There's going to be a number of brands number different EV models
It's going to be a really good day
So if you're in the area and you're going to marina market or you want like to head down
We'd love to see you there. You can register for your free ticket over on nevo.ee
That is episode 51
of the nevo even news podcast looking forward to our
52nd
one year in
Not a single episode missed and weak missed
And got great feedback on the ask me annaton
Um, I had somebody reach out to me and miss me messages to say whenever they see a ma
They think it's ask my
I won't say the bad word. Um, but yeah, that wasn't the case. It was ask me annaton
But hopefully you've enjoyed last week's episode on that and I look forward to chatting to you next week. Thanks
Hey, it's hannah burner from gigli squad and we're partnering with Abercrombie for the launch of their new spring collection
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